You're All I Want
by IncognitoWriter
Summary: Basically my take on Tony and Pepper's post IM1 relationship and how it develops. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is one I've been working with on and off since the first movie (though it doesn't take into account the events of the sequel). It started off as just some random drabbles but then I ended up stringing them all together in a decently cohesive story. I don't know if I'll end up posting it all, it's pretty long and they're probably out of character a lot because I usually write Tony and Pepper as how I wish they'd be, but I guess that's kinda point of fanfiction. I also used a lot of song lyrics in most of the segments just because they seemed to fit the mood of the different chapters. Anyways, I hope you like it. As always, please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.**

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Pepper Potts never took vacations; she was far too dedicated to her position as Tony Stark's personal assistant. It wasn't the best time, given the media backlash he was currently experiencing, but life had been far too stressful lately since the whole Iron Man debacle, and on a whim she had flown to New York for the weekend to visit with some friends.

One evening as they were sitting around watching a movie, the phone rang.

"Hey, Virginia, you have a phone call…from Iron Man? Is this a joke?"

Since his 'I am Iron Man' declaration the week before, Tony Stark had found it hilarious to refer to himself as such on various occasions.

"He says he's been trying to get a hold of you but you haven't been answering your phone."

"I've only been gone two days," Pepper muttered to herself before taking the phone from her friend. "Hello?"

"Potts! I've been trying to reach you. Just because you're on vacation doesn't mean you're off duty."

"Is there something you needed, Mr. Stark?"

"Um, yeah," he hesitated. If he was honest with himself, he had really only called because he suddenly felt the need to hear her voice, but that wasn't something he was ready to admit, to himself or anyone else. He wasn't entirely sure why, but he had been having this strange feeling in his gut since she left. He began again with a tone of uncertainty in his voice that she just barely caught. "Um, I needed to know where I keep, uh, where I keep my, um…" He had to think of something, he couldn't seem to have called her for no reason. "…uh, cufflinks? Yeah, cufflinks. I uh, have this benefit I have to go to and…" he stopped and waited for her reply.

He really was hopeless without her and they both knew it. She sighed and answered softly. "Seriously, Mr. Stark? You can't even manage one weekend without me."

"You know as well as I do, Potts that I couldn't manage a day without you, let alone three."

"Well, that is true," she said flatly, and informed him of the location of his cufflinks.

Neither spoke for a few moments. She realized that Jarvis could have told him the same information she had so she was confused as to why he really called her. Finally, she broke the silence. "Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

He sighed inaudibly. "That will be all Ms. Potts."

"What was that about?" her friend asked as she hung up the phone.

"I'm not quite sure," she answered honestly, as she remembered that there was no benefit he was scheduled to attend that evening.

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It's dark, only a faint light flickering above him. He wakes in the cave, ordered to build the missile, held underwater as he refuses. "When you finish he'll let you go." "No he won't." He realizes his life will never be the same. He's resigned himself to the fact that he's never getting out. His first thought- Pepper. He'll never see her again. His heart aches.

He sits up quickly, covered in sweat, his face in his hands as silent tears roll down his face.

After his nightmare about his capture in Afghanistan, Tony went down to his workshop to think. "This can't be happening to me. She'll never think of me as anything other than her jackass boss."

"Something wrong, Mr. Stark?" Jarvis interrupted.

"Not now, Jarvis. I just need to clear my head. I think I'll work down here for the rest of the evening. Please send down some more coffee."

"Of course, Mr. Stark."

He made some minor adjustments to the suit, trying to keep himself as busy as possible. He couldn't avoid this forever; he had to know how she felt, even if her answer would crush him.

He looked up. "Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir?"

"What time does Miss Potts's flight get in tomorrow?"

"5pm, sir. Why?"

"No reason. That'll be all, Jarvis," he finished, and continued with his work well into the next morning.

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**Hope you all enjoyed this rather short beginning chapter. Longer segments to come, I promise :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the next chapter, I'm thinking there will be about 10, maybe a little more. I probably won't be able to update as fast as I did with these first two because the rest need some work but I'll do my best.**

**Anyways, in this installment...Pepper gets home from her trip and Tony tries to tell her how he feels :) As always, read and review.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.**

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The following evening, Happy arrived at the airport to pick Pepper up, prompt as always.

"Home, Ms. Potts?" he asked.

"Yes, Happy. I can't even begin to imagine how much work I have waiting for me but it can wait for another few hours I suppose, I'm exhausted."

Happy dropped her off at her condo and left silently. Pepper made her way to her front door, only to be startled as the door opened before she could put the key into the lock.

As started to ask him what he was doing at her house, she was cut off by his strong arms embracing her. "Mr. Stark, wh-"

"I missed you," he replied earnestly.

He let her go and she stood frozen in front of him, shocked by his behavior. She shook her head slightly t to try and shake off some of her confusion, responding expressionlessly. "Of course you did. You know you'd never survive without me. But I was only gone three days, Mr. Stark. You didn't have to come all the way over here."

He doesn't respond, still standing in her doorway, just staring at her.

"Mr. Stark, why are you here? Do you need something?" Pepper asked, still confused as to why her boss was at her house this late on a Sunday.

He hesitated, still staring at her. "Well, uh…"

Pepper started to feel the weight of his gaze upon her and moved to gather her things and go into her house, but he blocks her entrance.

"Mr. Stark?"

"It's Tony, Pepper," he said softly.

"Why are you here?" she asked again, this time her annoyance clearly building.

He took a deep breath and continued slowly, unsure of what to say first. Hell, he was Tony fucking Stark- he had no experience with this whole 'feelings' thing. "You're all I have, Pepper. You know that right?"

"Yes, you have told me on various occasions," she replied impassively, still not making eye contact with him. "But you have Rhodey as well, and Jarvis and-"

"I don't think you understand me. That night at the ball, on the balcony- you almost kissed me. Why? And why didn't you?" They weren't the most tactful or eloquent questions, but he wanted the answers nonetheless.

She felt her face redden and she looked away. "I don't think it'd be wise to complicate our professional relationship."

"But you almost _kissed_ me. That _means _something. You have feelings for me don't you, Pepper?"

To Pepper, his voice sounded almost teasing and it angered her. "I don't think we should discuss this now, Mr. Stark-"

He cut her off again, now with a hint of anger rising in his voice. "It's Tony, Pepper! And I think now is as good a time as any!"

"So you came all the way over here because you wanted to talk about that night? When you left me all alone on that balcony? You can go now. I'll see you at work tomorrow, Mr. Stark."

He started to feel discouraged, and shifted out of her doorway. Maybe he _had _misread her feelings since he returned from Afghanistan. 'No, impossible,' he thought, and stopped in his tracks. He pushed on, thinking that it was now or never and he had to take a chance. Slowly, he reached for her hands and held them in his own. His voice was soft and slow when he finally spoke. "I can't explain it. I think about you all the time and I miss you when you're not around. Since I came back from Afghanistan, I've changed, and you know it." He paused and sensed the tension radiating off of her through her hands, but he continued resolutely. "Being around you, you make me want to be better."

She turned her face up to look into his eyes. As she saw the unguarded emotion in his eyes, she took a step forward. "This is all so complicated."

"It doesn't have to be," he answered honestly. "Give me a chance to prove to you that it could be good, Pepper. To prove that I can change."

"I…I think you should go," she said softly, pulling her hands from his grasp and stepping backwards.

He looked down, feeling defeated. As he turned to leave, he reached out and stroked her arm gently. "I won't give up, you know. When you change your mind, you know where to find me," then he left just as suddenly as he had appeared.

She remained standing just outside her door for several minutes, still dumbstruck over the events that had just taken place. Suddenly, she realized something that she hadn't before- "He broke into my house!" she remarked aloud. But the thought was gone in an instant. She can't be mad at him. After all, he taken the step she had been unwilling to take for years. He had put himself out there, and she turned him away. With that thought, she gathered her things and finally entered her condo, sleeping little that night. Though it had been weeks since he came back, the nightmares had never gone away.

As he sat awake tinkering away in his workshop after leaving Pepper's, he remembered that night at the ball. He had spotted her from across the room. He hardly recognized her, with her hair down, wearing that beautiful blue dress. He stared for a moment until she turned and he caught a look at her face, her stunning eyes and simple smile made his heart skip a beat. He invited her to dance, and she had reluctantly agreed. She was unsure, but he stared into her eyes, realizing something that had been deep within him all along. After they danced and he led her out to the balcony, he was surprised when she leaned in to kiss him, and equally so when she stopped short. Then at her house she had turned him away. Everything had left him confused and full of questions.

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And one of these days__

I'm gonna find myself a way

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I'll find the courage

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And I'll find the grace

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Oh and I'm going to know, just what to say

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Oh and you'll walk on up

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When you want this love

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Oh and you've had enough

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And you're giving it up

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Because I've kept my heart under control

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But lately, all this time is taking its toll

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I said I tried to but I can't hold back what's deep in my soul

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So darling please forgive me

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I want you and you'll just have to know

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******Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Lyrics from Under Control by Parachute. More to come soon!**  



	3. Chapter 3

**Forgot that this one was already done! It's short, but there's not much else I wanted to do with this scene.**

**Chapter four is going to take me a bit guys because I'm rewriting it, so please be patient. Expect it maybe Wednesday, Friday at the latest.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.**

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The next morning, she didn't show up.

At 9 am, he received his schedule for the day via email, though not from her. "Shit," he cursed silently to himself. "I guess I really fucked that up."

He didn't know how things had gone so wrong. He thought being honest would have been the right thing to do. That is, until he realized the possibility of her rejecting him.

He thought about calling her, but then reconsidered, figuring it might be better to give her some space.

By 6 o'clock that evening, he still hadn't heard from her. "Well, maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all," he remarked aloud.

"Might I suggest contacting Miss Potts, sir?" Jarvis replied.

"I dunno, Jarvis. It might piss her off more and I really can't deal with that right now." He didn't really care that she hadn't shown up, he just hoped that she hadn't decided to quit. At this point, that had the potential to destroy him- her leaving him. Let her have her space now and think things through. "She has to come around eventually," he said hopefully, trying to reassure himself that it was true.

He still hadn't heard from her by afternoon the next day. After work, he had Rhodey over for a couple of beers. They sat around drinking and talking about nothing much, but Rhodey could tell Tony was distracted, as his responses consisted merely of nods or grunts. Suddenly he tossed a pillow off the couch at Tony's head and only then did he finally look up. "Hey! What's with you, man? I've never seen you so quiet."

"Just distracted I guess," Tony answered, staring off into the distance.

"What are you thinking about? And where's Pepper anyway? It's only 6 on a Tuesday. Isn't she normally here way later than that on a normal weekday?"

"Dunno," he said nonchalantly with a shrug. "Haven't seen her in a couple days."

Rhodey looked over at his friend surprised. "A couple _days_? How are you surviving on your own?"

"I make do," he said quietly, staring into his beer absently.

"Better question is _why_ haven't you seen her?" A look of horror suddenly shot across his face. "Shit, Tony! What the hell did you do to her? Dammit, you didn't sleep with her did you? Man, I thought we talked about that, how it would only get you in trouble and she'd end up leaving and-"

"I didn't sleep with her, ok?" he said, finally looking up, a streak of anger running across his face at his friend's accusation.

"Then what's with you?"

"I dunno, it's just, I can't seem to get her out of my head lately," he said, running his hand through his hair.

"Oooook, so you've been thinking about her. But that's nothing new right?"

Tony didn't answer, just leaned back against the couch taking another sip of his beer.

"So what happened, Tony? I've never known Pepper to miss a single day a work."

"Well, she went on vacation and it was weird so I called her and then I went to her house when she came home and I asked her why she tried to kiss me and now she's not talking to me I guess," he said quickly.

Rhodey choked on his beer. "Wait, she tried to kiss you?"

"Uh, yeah. At that banquet thing. We danced and it was great but she thought it was awkward so we went outside and then she almost kissed me but then that whole Vanity Fair bitch showed me those pics and then Stane and blah blah blah, you know the rest," he said quickly.

"Wow. That's big."

"I dunno man. It's like I thought something was there but then we talked before the press conference and she was still pissed I left her and then she turned me down cold when I went to her house…" he trailed off, looking discouraged as he took another swig of his beer.

His friend just sat there for a moment, trying to absorb it all. "Damn, Tony. You've got it bad."

"No shit, Sherlock," he said, throwing the pillow back at him.

"What are you going to do? I mean, do you love her?"

"Maybe? I dunno. I don't know anything anymore. I mean, shit, it's _Pepper_. She's _everything_, and I can't _survive _without her so I don't want to fuck that up…but damn." Suddenly his voice got very quiet. "It's like, when I was over there, I heard her voice and…I dunno, maybe I'm just going crazy."

Rhodey smiled and shook his head. "Nah. Crazy in love maybe, though," he said with a small laugh.

"I just wish it were simpler."

His friend sighed, wishing he had some meaningful advice to give him. "I know, man, but it never is. I wish I knew what to tell you to do but…" He trailed off, unable to think of any wisdom that would aid his friend.

"It's ok." He stood up and walked towards the kitchen with the empty beer bottles. "I think I'm just gonna work on the suit for a bit then turn in early."

"Ok. Good luck, Tony," he said sincerely as he left.

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**Off to write more, please read and review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the next chapter, hope you like it! Many more to come!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.**

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The next morning, she finally showed up. She had been working, but from home because she didn't think she could face him. She was still not completely settled about what had transpired a few nights before, but clear-headed and professional as always, she would do her best to continue business as usual and be careful to avoid the subject coming up again.

"Good morning, Jarvis."

"Good morning, Miss Potts."

"Jarvis, where is Mr. Stark?"

"Asleep in the workshop. However, he has been seemingly distraught the past several days. He has spent the majority of the last 24 hours in the workshop and only recently succumbed to sleep at all."

"Shit," Pepper said under her breath, forgetting that the robot could hear her.

"Something wrong, Miss Potts?" Jarvis inquired.

"Jarvis, has Mr. Stark said anything?"

Before Jarvis could answer, Pepper was startled by Tony's sudden appearance.

"Good morning, Miss Potts."

As she turned to face him, she immediately could see how little sleep he'd gotten. With oil and grease still on his face and hands, she didn't need Jarvis to tell her that he had been working all night. "Oh, uh, good morning, Mr. Stark."

He looked terrible. As he sat down in the living room, he ran his hands through his hair and spoke softly, keeping his head down to avoid looking at her reaction. "Hey."

"Sir, you should probably shower and get dressed. We have to be at that board meeting in an hour and-"

He cut her off abruptly. If she wasn't going to bring up what had happened, what he had confessed to her, he would. He couldn't just go on as if nothing had happened. He wanted to wait for her to come to him but he couldn't; he had to know. "Pepper, we're not going to just pretend that Sunday night never happened, are we?" The look on his face was somehow defeated and desperate at the same time.

Pepper didn't move, not knowing what to say. Actually, she knew what she wanted to say, but she was terrified to actually admit to it. Ever since Afghanistan, she had realized that she had feelings for him, or rather, finally admitted them to herself. Feelings far beyond the standard employer-employee relationship, but she could never tell him…or could she? He had all but done so the night before so there'd be no fear of him not reciprocating.

"What do you want me to say, Mr. St-" cutting herself off, knowing he would correct her at her use of his formal name.

He picked his head up and looked directly at her. "What you feel," he said simply.

She stood still for a moment, thinking about how to proceed. He had put himself on the line last night at her house. She had to be honest with him; she owed him that at least. She walks over to him, maintaining a distance of a few feet. "Tony," she stopped and inhaled deeply before continuing. "This is hard…"

A glimmer of hope spread across his face as she continued, but he suppressed it quickly, not wanting to push her.

Her emotions battled with her rational, more logical side that told her admitting her feelings to him would ultimately thrust her life into chaos. It was one thing to love him from afar, but to admit it out loud unleashed a whole slew of complications. Still, her emotions won out; it had to be worth the risk.

"When you were taken, it felt like a part of me died. I'd never realized before how much you meant to me, how you really are all I have. I...I need you in my life just as much as you need me."

He stared at her hopefully. "Are you saying what I think you're saying, Miss Potts?"

She tilted her head at him a little in confusion.

He cleared his throat and continued. "If I were to, uh, ask you out, would you turn me down again?" he asked sheepishly, internally chiding himself for being so nervous. He had never seen this side of himself, so anxious and so self-conscious.

"That depends," she replied flatly, laughing inwardly at his choice of words. When she saw the doubt spread across his face, she smiled and continued. "On whether or not you actually ask me."

He returned her smile but shifted his head down, avoiding her eyes slightly. "Pepper Potts, will you go out with me?" he asked quietly.

She sighed, smiling at his uncharacteristically juvenile choice of words and nodded, beaming, and he walked over to her, raising her hand to kiss it gently. "Thank you, for everything," he said simply, hoping it could convey to her the things he was feeling but couldn't yet express.

She smiled at him as she straightened up. "Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

"That will be all, Miss Potts. Wait, no. Were you ever planning on asking me how I broke into your house?" he asked with a smirk.

She shook her head and smiled. "I was, but it's not important. If you hadn't, who knows- we could have been at this game for years." Her smile widened as she walked away.

Later that evening, Pepper was typing away busily on her laptop. Tony was surprisingly sitting in the kitchen, sipping coffee and pretending to look over paperwork. She knew him better than to think he was actually working, but what she didn't know was that he'd been sitting there for the better part of an hour just for the sake of watching her work, smiling to himself. She looked up from her computer, finally catching him staring and she smiled back. "Well, I should go home, it's getting late."

He looked at his watch and sighed as he sees that it's already past 6 o'clock. "So it is. Well, goodnight, Miss Potts."

"Goodnight, Mr. Stark. I'll see you in the morning," she replied and turned to leave with a smile on her face.

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**I thought about ending this here but...I'm glad I decided not to. More soon! Please read and review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**This one is pretty sappy ;) It all gets pretty fluffy from this point on, though of course there will be a some bumps along the way. I hope you're still enjoying it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.**

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Pepper drove home for the evening, only to be surprised yet again when she reached the front door of her condo.

"Tony!" she exclaimed as she saw him standing outside her door. "I won't even ask how you beat me here. What, no breaking and entering?" she teased.

He smiled, especially at the fact that she's finally calling him by his first name. "No, I thought it might be nice to be invited in this time," he said softly.

"Well, would you like to come inside, Tony?" she asked as she smiled back at him.

"I thought you'd never ask," he replied and she saw that his face was beaming as he walked inside. "Actually, Potts, I came here to make you dinner."

"Seriously? You cook?" she asked in shock.

He laughed. "To be honest, not really, but I'm a fast learner," he said as he started to pull a few things out of the brown paper bag he had brought with him.

After dinner, they sat at the table talking for a while until their conversation died down and the two sat quietly for a few minutes. He was just staring at her, and feeling his gaze she broke the silence. "Tony, I don't know what your plans were, but I still think this is really complicated, and…and I want to take it slow," she said hesitantly.

"Hey, listen, Pepper. I want to do this right." Tony got up from the table and gestured for her to follow. He sat down on her couch and patted the seat for her to come sit next to him. She walked over and sat down slowly. "I know I've never done the whole relationship thing, but I really want to try. And with you, it'll be different," he said as he took her hands into his own, "I promise."

She nodded, then continued, "I also think we should keep this just between you and me, at least for a while."

"Well, Potts, I hate to break it to you, but Jarvis already knows, and probably Happy at this point as well, he's pretty perceptive." They both laughed. They might be able to fool the world for a while, but never Happy, and of course not Jarvis. "And besides, why are you ashamed to be dating Iron Man?" he asked, only half jokingly. "Most women would kill to be in your position right now, dating a superhero." He grinned at her, one of his eyebrows cocked.

"Then why aren't you with one of them?" she asked with a smile as she ran her fingers over the knuckles on one of his hands.

He smiled that radiant smile of his that she has come to love in the past few days because she knows for sure now that it's one that he saves for her and her alone. "Because they're not you," he said plainly with a shrug.

She and bowed her head to avoid his eye line as she blushed at his simple reply.

He took her chin in his hand and lifted her head back up so he could face her directly. "Tell me something."

"Anything," she replied with a sincere smile.

He grinned at her devilishly. "That's a dangerous response, Potts. But in all seriousness, that night on the balcony, you went to kiss me and then you stopped. Why?"

She took a deep breath. "Because we'd never talked and you're my boss so I didn't know what to do and…and I was afraid of what might happen."

He shifted closer to her. "Are you afraid now?" he asked sincerely.

She smiled but didn't answer. Instead, she leaned in closer and finished what she had started that night on the balcony, pausing just inches away from his lips. At first he thought she was just playing with him, then finally she was pressing her lips delicately to his. She moved her hands into his hair and around his neck as he pulled her closer to deepen their kiss.

Not wanting to push her too fast, he pulled away after a few moments and smiled warmly at her. "Do you know how long I've wanted to do that?"

She grinned, slowly opening her eyes to look at him. "Probably not as long as I have."

Their exchange made him a bit solemn for a moment as he wondered how much time they'd wasted, her being afraid of getting hurt and him being too much of a self-centered ass to notice what was right in front of him.

He laid back on the couch and pulled her with him so she was draped across his chest.

She sighed and smiled, one of his hands playing with her hair, her hand curled across the arc on his chest, caressing it gently. "Do you remember when you made me replace-"

"Oh, and you pulled the magnet out? And almost killed me?" he said with mock admonishment.

She hit his chest playfully. "Oh shut up, you were fine. And that was terrifying! I can't believe you made me do that."

"Well, who else was I supposed to ask?" he asked her honestly with a smile.

Pepper smiled back, then yawned.

"Tired, Miss Potts?" He started to move to get up. "I should let you get some sleep…"

She looked at him sleepily and shook her head. "No, don't. I mean...please stay. I'm comfortable just like this…if that's ok." She yawned again as he lay back down. "Good night, Tony," she said as she curled back up against him.

"Good night, Pepper." He smiled, gently draping the blanket from the back of the couch over them and then wrapping his arms around her to let her sleep, tonight without the nightmares. He's tired himself, not having slept well for quite some time. Not long after he realizes she's asleep, he's asleep himself, smiling contently.

_Sometimes dreams they don't come true_

_I was scared of that when I met you_

_But I stayed patient and I was kind_

_Telling you to take your time_

_You turned my life around_

_You made it ok to let you down_

_There's no one else in the world_

_You will always be my girl_

_You will always be_

_You will always be_

You will always be my girl

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**Hope you liked this chapter, it's one of my favorites. Lyrics from Better than Love by Griffin House.**

**More soon. Read and review, please.**_  
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	6. Chapter 6

**I think there are some minor tense issues with this one, but I did my best. I know this one is a bit shorter, but I hope you like it. Next chapter will hopefully be posted tomorrow.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.**

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The next morning, Tony woke up early to the sound of his phone. 'Great, another mission is the last thing I want to do right now,' he thought to himself, remembering the events of the night before, and the unfamiliar yet oddly comforting weight half-draped across his chest. He decided not to wake her, instead leaving her with a note. He left as quickly as he could, eager to finish the mission and get back to the sleeping redhead next to him, but not before he placed a soft kiss on her forehead causing her to stir slightly and smile in her sleep.

A few hours later when Pepper woke up, she found the note he left for her on the table.

**_Good morning Pep._**

**_I wanted to stay but Iron Man had to go. I was going to wake you but I didn't want you to worry. _**

**_Thank you for inviting me in last night, I had a great evening._**

**_I'll be back soon, I promise._**

**_- Tony_**

She smiled to herself, holding the note. She still can't fully grasp how much he's changed. The old Tony Stark is no more, and the man who has replaced him is unfamiliar to her. Still, she can't help but feel that he's become the person she always knew he could be.

_But now I know just who you are_

_And I know you hold my heart_

_Finally this is where I belong_

_It is you I have loved all along_

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It's not a particularly difficult mission, just long and tiring. On the flight back, he finally had time to think about the last few days, how much his life had changed. It feels like he's been made whole again, after years of feeling so distant from everything. His life feels complete, like he's exactly where he needs to be and everything has fallen into place. He doesn't want to push her too fast, but by this point he's realized that he wants nothing less than to spend every moment with her. She makes him want to be a better man- to be better for her, to deserve her. He thinks about her every second of the day. When he sleeps, he dreams of her- her soulful eyes, her gorgeous smile, everything. She's perfect, and he still can't believe that she's his. He may not deserve her, yet, but he's definitely trying, and as he flew back he hoped like hell she saw how different he'd become.

_I found a reason for me_

_To change who I used to be_

_A reason to start over new_

_And the reason is you_

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After she getting dressed, she drove over to Stark Mansion and awaits his return. She tried to keep herself busy with work, but as the hours passed she eventually fell asleep on his couch.

He arrived back late in the evening. After the bots removed the suit he changed into some sweats and made his way upstairs to find her asleep on his couch. That was new for him, having someone there waiting for him to come home…he liked it. He knelt down beside her to kiss her forehead and she woke up.

"Tony," she said sleepily as she looked up at him. "When did you get back? Did everything go ok?"

"Just now, and everything went fine." He looked down and realized that in her hand was the note he had left her that morning. He smiled, setting his hand on top of hers. "I really did want to stay you know. It was nice waking up with you in my arms."

"I know. I…I missed you, Tony," she replied, blushing.

"I missed you too," he replied, kissing her gently.

He moved to sit with her on the couch, and she shifted to lean against him.

She looked at him, speaking softly. "You know, I've never really said it, but I'm proud of you, Tony. I am so proud of everything you've done, and the person you've become."

Her words warmed his heart and he had to swallow hard to fight back the tears. He didn't respond, but smiled and pulled her closer as they both drifted off to sleep.

_Under the stars, at the edge of the sea _

_There's no one around_

_No one but you and me_

_We'd talk for hours, as time drifts away_

_I could stay here forever_

_And hold you this way_

_Because you are all that I need_

_For you, I give my soul to keep_

_You see me, love me_

_Just the way I am_

_I said for you_

_I am a better man_

_

* * *

_**Lyrics from It is You (I Have Loved) by Dana Glover, Reason by Lifehouse and Better Man by James Morrison. **

**More soon. Please read and review, I love you all :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ok this chapter is a bit random, but given Tony's past it didn't seem entirely unlikely that something like this might eventually happen. And as much as I wish otherwise, given their strong personalities there's bound to be at least a few bumps in their relationship.**

**I hope you all like it, please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.**

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Later the next week, Pepper had stopped by the office before heading over to Stark Mansion and had overheard some things she wished she hadn't.

Two secretaries (maybe they weren't secretaries, she didn't know for sure) were chatting it up in the break room.

"Did you hear about Stark's latest escapades?" the one woman whispered excitedly.

"I thought he's been a veritable monk since…you know," the other woman replied quietly.

"Yeah well, apparently not anymore. Last night at that one club downtown, you know the really exclusive one? Well, apparently he was getting more than chummy with a few ladies, if you know what I mean," she said with a smirk.

"Ooh, really? Spill!"

"Oh you know, dancing, drinking, girls. I hear he was all over this one girl, some wannabe actress from LA, young bimbo, like 22. Apparently they spent some 'quality time' in one of the VIP rooms…" she said giggling.

"Ah, so the old Tony Stark is back."

"Mhmm. I wonder if I'd ever have a shot with him…"

Their conversation trailed off as Pepper stormed out. She was furious. All this time, she thought he was different. She should never have stopped by the office. She didn't want to believe what those idiot secretaries were saying but she let her emotions get the better of her because it all seemed so believable. If it was true, she was done; she'd have to quit and that'd be it. She stormed into his house, realizing Tony was nowhere to be found. She headed down to the workshop, only to find him still in sweats, tinkering away on something.

"Mr. Stark, you need to change, you have a meeting in 45 minutes," she said coldly. He took the tone in her voice as her trying yet again to maintain some distance professionally and he let it go. "And did you sign those forms I left with you yesterday?"

He didn't look up, continuing with whatever he was working on. "Uh, no. I guess I didn't have time to get to them. And can't I just skip the meeting? I'm not really feeling up to going in to the office today."

"Too much fun last night?" she asked under her breath.

He looked up suddenly, astonished. "Excuse me? Pepper, what are you talking about?"

"Dammit, Tony, I thought you were at least making an effort! You said it was going to be different! You _promised_ me you would be!" she yelled before she had even thought about what was coming out of her mouth. "You know what, skip the damn meeting for all I care. I have to go. I can't deal with you right now," she huffed, still angry, and stormed up the stairs to leave.

He watched her leave wide-eyed, still too stunned to react. "Pepper! What the fuck did I do?" he yelled after her, but she was long gone.

"Sir, if I may interject. When Miss Potts arrived earlier she was muttering about what was most likely a rumor about you going around the office. Shall I play the recording back for you?"

He looked up. "Not necessary. Just summarize."

"From what I gathered, evidently someone was making rather bold remarks regarding you and what can now be considered your previous ways. Something along the lines of your behaviors with a young woman at a certain club yesterday evening."

"Wait, what club? And who was I supposedly with?" he asked exasperated. "I didn't even leave the damn house yesterday!"

"I am aware of this, sir. Still, the comments struck a little too close to home for Miss Potts, given your current…situation."

He groaned. "Ugh, relationship, Jarvis, we're in a relationship, and one that I'm committed to. Shit, she must be seriously pissed if she believed that." He reached for his phone. He knew a quick text wouldn't solve it, but he had to start somewhere and he also knew she wouldn't answer if he called right now. He typed a message out hurriedly, hoping she'd respond.

_I've tried so many times_

_To tell you how I feel_

_But you're far too disbelievin'_

_Are you tryin' to get even with me?_

_Maybe once or twice_

_I wasn't fair I wasn't nice_

_But now I've got myself together_

_When I promise to be better, you say_

_Whoa, I'll believe you when_

_Whoa, I'll believe you when_

_Whoa, when everything you say don't turn out wrong_

* * *

Pepper pulled out of Tony's driveway and just kept driving, trying to clear her head and reason things out. She was just about to pull onto the highway when her phone buzzed and blinked "New Message." She opened it and saw it was from Tony.

_**I know what you heard and it's a lie. I didn't even leave the house last night. **_

_**I wish you'd trust me. **__**Please come back so we can talk.**_

She typed back quickly,

_**I'll think about it.**_

He saw her responding text and merely sighed, not knowing what else to do.

_If you don't want me to leave_

_Then don't push me away_

_Rather blow out the lights _

_You can watch it all fade_

_But I'm going nowhere_

_I'm gonna stay_

_When you just wanna fight_

_When you're closing you're eyes_

_'Cause you don't wanna love me_

_I'm gonna stay_

_You can't push me too far_

_There's no space in my heart_

_Where I don't wanna love you_

_

* * *

_

He waited 10 minutes and she didn't come back so he went to get dressed since he figured skipping the meeting would only make her angrier. Afterwards he waited around the office for a while, thinking may she'd come there. Still, by 6 there was no sign of her and with a heavy sigh he packed up his things and left for home. As he walked through the door and made his way into the living room, he saw her. Her eyes were red and puffy- she'd been crying. All he wanted to do is go to her and hold her, make everything right again, but he resisted.

She looked up as she saw him come in, walking slowly over to her.

He bypassed the couch she was sitting on and sat down instead on the table across from it, wanting to be able to look at her directly when he speaks.

"Hey," he said softly, but she didn't respond or even look up to face him.

Slowly he took her hands into his own and continued, hoping what he was about to say would comfort her.

"Pepper, please look at me because I want you to hear this."

She did, and the pain in her eyes was almost more than he could bear.

He took a deep breath and began his explanation with a heavy sigh. "Since I can remember, just about every aspect of my life has been in the public eye. I hate it, but that's how it is so I accept it and move on with my life. And then there's the reputation that goes along with the person I used to be, and that's not something I can escape either. All I can do is wake up every morning and try to be a better man than I was before," he said with a twinge of pain and regret in his eyes.

"I know what they said about me hurt you and made you question my commitment to you, but I need you to_ trust_ me. Trust me that I'm committed to this," he said as he motioned to the two of them. "We both knew going in that this wasn't going to be easy, but I think it's worth it, that _you're_ worth it," he said running a finger down her cheek gently. "You're all I have, Pepper, and I mean it. Trust me that I'm committed to you. People may talk, say things about me, about us, but you should never doubt that when it comes down to it, you know the truth. You're my world, and I would _never_ intentionally do _anything_ to hurt you or betray your trust."

Suddenly, she started sobbing. "Hey, Pep, don't cry." He finally reached out to hold her, and she collapsed into him, burying her head in his shoulder.

She stayed like that for a minute or so as her sobs quieted, finally pulling back to look at him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Tony," she repeated. "I heard them say those things and it just made me so angry. Deep down I knew you wouldn't do that to me. It's probably my fault this ever even happened, because I made you keep this a secret. If people knew, maybe they wouldn't talk about you..."

He shook his head, reaching for her hands again. "No. Pepper, we should be allowed to have some semblance of a private life," he said resolutely. Finally a small smile graced his face. "I guess it makes you think twice about wanting to date a guy like me though, always in the news, people saying whatever they want about him regardless of whether it even happened."

She lifted one of her hands to cup his cheek. "Never," she replied with a heartfelt smile, and kissed him softly, resting her forehead against his.

_All I know is the way you hold my heart_

_But all that shows is the way we fall apart_

_To a world I hate_

_You are the one I love_

_They'll say, what they'll say_

_But they'll never say enough_

_And I'll sing it more than once_

_That you are the one I love_

_And after all of the things we've said and done_

_You are the one I love_

_

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_**Hope you liked this one. I know it probably seemed a bit odd but I feel what came out of the situation was really good in terms of further developing and strengthening their relationship. It's also probably one of my favorite chapters.**

**Lots of song lyrics in this one (let me know if you guys think I should cut it down in the future)- I'll Believe You When by Matchbox Twenty, If You Don't Wanna Love Me by James Morrison, and You Are the One I Love by Jon McLaughlin.**

**Make sure to check out the songs I've been using, they fit this tory really well, I promise. **

**More soon. Please read and review, I love all of your comments!**


	8. Chapter 8

**This one isn't too bad, though I rushed the writing a bit, sorry about that. It's set about a week after the previous chapter, pretty fluffy but you probably expect that by now.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.**

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"Good morning, Miss Potts," she heard as she entered the house one morning.

"Good morning, Jarvis," she responded politely.

"Miss Potts, Mr. Stark had requested for you to meet him in the workshop when you arrived."

"Ok, I'll head down now," she said as she sets down her things on the kitchen counter. "Thank you, Jarvis."

Heading down to the workshop, she noticed there was still no glass in the doorway since he blasted them out. "You know, you should probably fix this at some point."

"Yeah, at some point," he said nonchalantly.

"Did you need something, Tony? Jarvis told me to come down."

He continued fiddling with some part of the suit. "Yeah, one sec, I just have to figure this out…there, perfect. Huh, I guess you help me think," he says, mostly to himself.

"What?" she asked slightly confused.

"Oh, nothing. It's just I've been working this for hours and then you show up and all of a sudden I figure it out. Could you come by later so I can finish up working on the flight stabilizers?" he asked with a laugh.

"If you're a very good boy and go to all of your meetings today, I'll consider it," she said with a grin.

"Fair enough. Pepper Potts, you are far too good to me."

She smiled back at him, a simple, loving smile that made his heart flutter more than he'd like to admit. "Yes, I know. Anyways, did you need something? We should probably get going soon."

"Yeah, I wanted to get your opinion on something but let's talk in the car so we're not late."

"Tony Stark worried about being prompt. I never thought I'd see the day," she replied on their way out of the workshop

Tony showered and changed quickly then they were out the door leaving for Stark Industries. After getting in the car, Pepper looked over at him. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Oh, I just wanted to know where you wanted to go to dinner tonight. And I know what you're going to say and I'm way ahead of you. I have a few places in mind that have been good to me before so if you want to pick one of those, I can rent out the whole place and our secret will still be safe." He smiled proudly at her for thinking everything through.

"Tony, you don't have to rent out a whole restaurant just for me," she said, blushing slightly.

"Well, I wouldn't do it for anyone else," he replied honestly, laying his head on her shoulder. "You said you wanted to keep us a secret for a while so that's what we'll do. Whatever keeps you around is fine by me, and it's not like I can't afford it," he said with a shrug and a smirk.

"Thank you, Tony. You pick the place, I'm sure I'll love wherever you decide. And thank you for keeping this a secret. I figure, the longer we keep this a secret, the longer it's just us. No media frenzy, no Iron Man, no added complications. Just, you know, Tony and Pepper."

Looking down into his lap, he sighed deeply. "I'm sorry this is all so complicated. I wish it were simpler."

She looked down to look into his eyes. "It's not your fault, Tony. You are who you are, and I knew that going into this. _Never_ apologize for being you. Besides, who else besides you could afford to rent out the entirety of one of those restaurants?" she asked with a smile as she kissed him lightly.

He smiled back at her. "This is true," he responded, putting an arm around her shoulders.

They arrive at Stark Industries and they both get out of the car. He turns to look at her before they head in. "So I'll pick you up at 8?"

"Sounds good, Tony."

"Oh shit, you don't have a car here. Well, just have Happy drive you home at 5 and then he can come back here for me later. I have some work to do anyways."

With a nod they headed to their respective offices. When she got to hers, on her desk she saw a bouquet of two-dozen red roses in a simple crystal vase. Going over to get a closer look at them, she realized there was no note. She smiled and sent Tony a text with a picture of the flowers.

_**From you?**_

He grinned as he received the text and responded quickly.

_**If not, we might need to talk :)**_

She smiled to herself, getting back to her work and willing the hours to go by faster.

* * *

After work, Happy drove Pepper home. When she got into her house, she smelled the roses again before setting the bouquet on her kitchen table looking at the flowers with a smile and thinking about how lucky she is.

She took a shower and put on a satin purple knee-length dress and silver heels, leaving her hair down. At exactly 8 o'clock, he knocked on her door. She opened it and was amazed at the sight of him wearing a perfectly tailored black suit, white dress shirt, and a black silk tie. "Tony! Why are you so dressed up? Where are we going?"

"Just dinner, but I figured you'd look amazing so I should at least try to look half as good." He smiled and followed as she led him inside. "You look stunning, Pepper," he said honestly as he leaned in to kiss her. "Though you always do."

"Thank you, Tony. You look very handsome."

"Eh, I do ok. I still have nothing on you." He looked over and saw the flowers he had sent her on the kitchen table.

She noticed his gaze and responded with a coy smirk. "Beautiful flowers, don't you think? There wasn't a card though. Apparently I have a secret admirer," she said as she grinned at him.

"Sounds like I need to kick someone's ass for sending flowers to my girl," he said as he smirked back, continuing the charade.

"Oh, I dunno if that's necessary. He's actually a pretty nice guy. A little rough around the edges but once you get to know him…" She paused as she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, looking into his eyes with a smile on her face. "He may be a little frustrating and strong-willed at times, but…I'm not sure what I'd do without him."

He felt a lump building in his throat and quickly cleared his throat to prevent himself from tearing up. He sighed, just admiring her for a moment, wondering how he got so lucky. "Is that so? Well, then I guess he's one lucky guy," he said with a smile, kissing her softly. "I am, you know. Thank you for giving me a chance." He leaned his forehead against hers, both of them smiling. After a few seconds, he pulled back. "Ready for dinner?"

"Mmhmm. Let's go."

* * *

After they ate, Tony just sat there, gazing at her smiling. "Care to dance, beautiful?"

"Sure," she answered with a smile.

Tony took her hand as she stood and gestured to the waiter to give them some privacy. Shortly after, music began to play in the restaurant and he put one hand around her waist while taking one of hers into his other and holding it securely against his chest.

"So, what made you change your mind?"

"And believe that you were finally serious? After years of toying with me?" she asked playfully.

"Uh, yeah," he replied sheepishly.

"That night you broke into my house."

"Really?" he asked, somewhat surprised.

"Yeah," she said in a whisper. "There was just something about the look in your eyes. You seemed so desperate, stripped of all pretenses. I could tell what you said was coming from your heart by the way you said it. It scared me a little because it was completely genuine and I'd never seen you so serious about something before."

He swallowed hard as they continued to dance. "Hmm. Well, I guess I shouldn't have broken into your house, but I had to say something and I didn't know how to get your attention. Ever since I got back home I'd realized that you weren't just my personal assistant. You were the only thing I thought about every night before I went to sleep, someone I needed in my life to keep me in line and to always be there for me. But I didn't think you'd take me seriously. You've known me for so long but I've always been such as ass. You know I don't think I've ever really apologized for that, have I?"

"Tony, you don't…"

"Well, I'm sorry. More than you'll ever know. When I was taken, I thought, 'Well this is it. She'll just remember me as the asshole I always was.' But then I came back and I thought maybe if I could make things right and treat you with the respect you deserve, then maybe you'd feel something for me too."

She nodded and spoke softly in reply. "Tony, I've thought about you in ways that an employee shouldn't for a long time now, but I never would have guessed that you felt the same way so I just set my feelings aside." She paused for a moment and sighed contently. "I'm so glad you came over that night, Tony."

"Me too," he replied genuinely, wondering how things would have turned out if he hadn't impulsively decided on such a bold course of action. He leaned his forehead against hers smiling and they continued to dance late into the night silently. There was nothing else to say- his smile said it all.

_It's her hair and her eyes today_

_That just simply take me away_

_And the feeling that I'm falling further in love_

_Makes me shiver but in a good way_

_All the times that I've sat and stared_

_As she thoughtfully thumbs through her hair_

_As she purses her lips, bats her eyes and she plays,_

_With me sitting there slack-jawed and nothing to say_

_'Cause I love her with all that I am_

_And my voice shakes along with my hands_

_'Cause its frightening to be swimming in this strange sea_

_But I'd rather be here then on land_

_Yes she's all that I see and she's all that I need_

_And I'm out of my league once again_

_As if you didn't know_

_As if I could ever hide what I'm feeling_

_You've got me reeling_

_I'm just so in love with you_

* * *

**Lyrics from Out of My League by TJ McCloud.**

**More soon, please keep reviewing!**


	9. Chapter 9

******I can't believe how far I've gotten with this story, and I'm glad you all like it so much! I'm trying to get around to responding to your reviews but I haven't had much time, I'll get to it eventually though.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it any of it.**

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"You're up early," she remarked as she walked in Monday morning, finding him fully dressed and standing in the kitchen making coffee. She couldn't help but be a bit surprised by the fact that he was up and dressed before 8 am. Though, she has been noticing that lately he'd needed fewer reminders and had actually been attending a decent amount of his meetings, and has been on time no less.

"I've been known to do that occasionally. You know, responsible things." He smiled at her and she smiled back warmly. "Coffee?" he asked as he poured a cup and handed it to her.

"Yes, thank you." After a few minutes of sipping their coffee in silence, she looked down at her phone. "Well, Mr. Stark, we should probably get going. You have several meetings today so we can't afford to be late."

"Of course, Miss Potts." He gestured to the door. "Shall we?" he asked, and they walked out to the car.

As Happy pulled up to the front of SI and they got out of the car, Tony reached for her hand. "No," she said softly, and he looked down dejected. "It's not that I don't want to…it's just…not here, Tony. Is that ok?" she asked as she looked into his eyes sadly, hoping she hadn't offended him.

"As you wish, Miss Potts," he replied flatly.

"Later?" she asked hopefully.

He nodded in confirmation as he left her with a smile and they went their separate ways to their offices.

_Now there are couples, couples everywhere_

_Oh why, oh why does everyone care_

_It's hard to be me and you_

_When all that everyone does is stare_

_Oh, all they do is stare_

_

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_

Later that day, Pepper was typing busily at her desk in her office when she noticed Tony walk in. "Hey," she started softly and smiled. Then she looked around and cleared her throat, trying to remain professional. "Did you need something, Mr. Stark?" she asked as she stood up and walked toward him.

"Nothing specifically, Miss Potts. I've been in meetings for the last couple of hours so I just thought I'd come up and…you know, uh, check in," he said, looking down. She blushed. He looked back up at her and spoke hesitantly. "So, um, how's your day going?"

"Fine, Mr. Stark. And yours?"

"I can't complain." He lowered his voice and continued. "Though I haven't seen much of you. That's been, uh, kind of unfortunate."

He wasn't used to this. The whole relationship thing was still new to him but he was doing his best. He wants to be the man she deserves, but he's still not quite sure he knows what that entails. He hadn't seen her all day and a part of him just wanted to be near her, if only for a couple minutes. He couldn't explain it, but he was drawn to her, hell he had been for years. After he glanced over his shoulder and saw that no one is around, he leaned in and kissed her softly. He whispered into her ear quickly, "Dinner tonight?" She nodded, and he pulled back. "Well, I, uh, guess I better get back."

"Will that be all, Mr. Stark?" She smiled coyly.

"That will be all, Miss Potts," he replied. He grinned at her and whispered, "for now," as he exited her office.

She sat down back at her desk bemused and watched him leave.

_You have stolen my,_

_You have stolen my,_

_You have stolen my heart_

_

* * *

_

The day dragged on for both of them. Finally, she finished the last of her paperwork and looked at her watch. When she looked up, she was surprised to see Tony in the doorway of her office, holding a single red rose out to her. He looked at her and smiled. "Ready to go?"

"Yep," she said with a smile. She walked over to him and he handed her the rose as they left together. When they got into the elevator, he reached down to hold her hand. This time, she didn't pull away. He sighed, immensely pleased.

They got into the car, still hand in hand, and Happy took off towards Stark Mansion. Tony looked down to see her hand in his own and he couldn't help but smile. It felt right, and he was pretty sure he'd finally figured out why- why he had the sudden need to see her as often as possible, why simply holding her hand was so comforting. His mind was racing. This was all so new for him, and in a strictly technical sense he had no idea what the protocol was when it came to situations like these. He wondered if it was too soon to tell her, hell he wasn't quite sure she'd even take him seriously.

Pepper looked over as she realized that Tony was staring at her. "What?"

"I want to tell you something." He hesitated, "but I don't want to make you uncomfortable or nervous and I don't want you to think I'm joking around or anything."

He looked truly flustered and Pepper had no idea what he could be getting at. He just stared at her oddly and Pepper started to get concerned. "Tony? What's wrong? Just tell me."

He continued to stare at her, weighing his options around in his head. Finally, he looked down into his lap, shaking his head. "Nah, it's nothing."

Worried, Pepper reached out to hold his other hand and pressed him to continue. "Hey, what is it? You can tell me."

He didn't lift his head, and when he eventually spoke it was in a voice even softer than before. "I think I love you."

"Oh." She exhaled deeply and lifted his head to kiss him lightly. "I love you too. You know that don't you?" Her voice lowered and she looked down into her lap. "I've loved you for so long." She smiled at him as a radiant grin swept across his face and he wrapped his arm around her. She leaned into him and he smiled into her hair, content in having her close.

_This kind of love makes me feel ten feet tall_

_It makes all my problems fall_

_This kind of trust helps me to hold the line_

_I'll be there every time_

_This kind of love, it's what I dreamed about_

_Yeah it fills me up_

_Baby it leaves no doubt_

_This kind of love, it's why I'm standing here_

_It's something that we can share_

_I can't get enough of this kind of love_

* * *

When they got back to the mansion, Pepper moved quickly to her office to gather up her things. As she walked back through the house, she stopped when she noticed him sitting on the couch. "Well, I guess I'll see you later."

He looked up from whatever he was reading, looking genuinely confused. "Wait, where are you going?"

"Earlier you said you wanted to go to dinner. I just thought I'd go home and change."

"I know, but can we just…never mind," He let out a resigned sigh and continued. "Where do you want to go?"

There was a look in his eyes that she couldn't place, something that seemed to be happening more often than not these days. She found it somewhat unsettling, not being able to read him, what he was thinking, what was he going to say or do before he did. "No, what were you going to say?"

"It's nothing," he shrugged. "Just that if we go out it'll be such a big to-do so I'll have to rent out the whole restaurant and then…" he trailed off, feeling somewhat ashamed for complaining about the realities of their relationship.

She looked down and replied softly. "I'm sorry, Tony."

At first he nodded, but then he realized what she'd said and his head snapped up. "Wait, no! Why are _you_ sorry? _I'm_ being insensitive. I didn't mean it to sound that way. I thought you didn't want anyone to know, but if you want to go out, we'll go. I'll rent out five restaurants if you want." He smiled widely, realizing deep down that he'd do anything for her if it made her happy. "_I'm_ sorry," he said sincerely.

"It's fine, Tony. We can stay here. Whatever you want to do."

"I guess…I just want to be with you."

She could tell that words were failing him, but she understood most of what he was trying to get across. "Tony."

He walked over from the living room and stood beside her, his head hanging low as he stared at the ground. "I dunno, Pepper. It's just-"

She cut him off and laughed. "God, Tony, just chill out! If you have something to say, say it. You don't have to play games with me. You say, 'Potts, let's stay in because I don't want to deal with the damn circus!' ok?"

He stared at her wide-eyed. "Wow."

She wasn't pissed off per se, just frustrated at the way they had to live their lives, all the complications their relationship entailed. She lowered her head sheepishly, though, feeling bad for snapping at him. "Sorry," she grumbled. "It's been a long day." She smiled at him. "Honestly, Tony, I don't care what we do."

He held his arms out to her, smiling warmly. "Come here." She walked over to him and he pulled her in his arms. "I'm sorry. Sometimes it just sucks being me. Well, and you. You and me together. Ugh," he groaned. "You know what I mean."

She buried her face into his shoulder and laughed again. Then she pulled away slightly to face him. "Come on, I'm not even hungry anymore. Let's watch a movie."

He walked over to the couch and sat down, patting the spot next to him. She didn't sit down though, instead opting to lay down with her head in his lap. He smiled at her choice in seating arrangements. "Comfy?" he asked with a smirk as he pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over her.

"Exceptionally," she said with a happy sigh.

"So what's playing on the big screen tonight?" he asked as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Hmm. I dunno. What about Top Gun?"

"Seriously? You are full of surprises, Potts."

She grinned up at him. "And that's why you love me."

"One of _many_ reasons. Jarvis? I feel the need, the need for speed," he stated matter-of-factly.

She laughed loudly, and cuddled up closer to him as the movie started.

* * *

As the movie finished, they were both on the verge of sleep so she lifted her hand and softly patted the side of his face to get his attention. "I better go." She smiled at him and kissed him gently as she stood up. "I'll see you in the morning."

He wanted to ask her to stay, but he didn't, and settled for walking her out to her car. This 'being a sensitive guy' thing is new to him, but with his years of experience with Pepper, even he knew better than to push her too far too fast. They may have worked together for years, but their relationship was new, and he was trying to adjust accordingly.

When they got outside, she leaned against her Audi and he kissed her slowly, drawing it out. As they pulled apart, he smiled and opened her car door for her. After she climbed in, he shut it behind her and she started the car.

"Hopefully I won't die of loneliness," he said with a smirk as she rolled down her window.

"Hah hah," she replied dryly. "I'm sure you'll survive for…" she glanced at her watch. "…9 hours without me."

"Don't be so sure," he said with a smirk. He leaned down to kiss her through the open window. "Drive safe, Potts," he said as he tapped his hand on the top of her car. He took a few steps back, but within seconds she called him back to the car.

"Tony?"

He walked back over. "Pep, the sooner you leave, the sooner you come back," he said smiling.

"I love you."

He beamed at her, his responding smile absolutely priceless. "I know. And sometimes I think I actually deserve it. Get some sleep, Pepper. I'll miss you."

_Sometimes I think you never knew_

_The only truth I see is you_

_It's you_

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_**Next chapter soon! Please read and review!**

**Lyrics from You Are the One I Love by Jon McLaughlin, Stolen by Dashboard Confessional, This Kind of Love by Sister Hazel and Declaration by David Cook.**


	10. Chapter 10

**This one I'm really not sure about but I thought it was a necessary eventuality plot-wise. Most importantly-**** the Pepperony smut you've all written on this site is fabulous but it's not my gift so this is going to be a "kiss and fade to black" kinda chapter. Feel free to use your own imaginations to fill in the blanks.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.**

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The next day, Tony was in meetings all day so Pepper stayed around the mansion to get some work done. Around lunchtime, she forgot for a second that he wasn't at the house and wandered down to the workshop. When she reached the landing and found it empty, she crossed her arms and headed back up the stairs with a heavy sigh. She'd always thought that things between the two of them would never work out because they were co-workers. But, quite the opposite turned out to be true. Keeping their relationship private prevented speculation in the media and around work so there was no problem in that respect. And much to Pepper's surprise, they had been able to transition into a more personal dynamic quite seamlessly.

As she walked back through the house, she realized she missed him, if only just his presence in the mansion. Part of her scoffed at this realization and tried to convince her that it was irrational, but she missed him nonetheless. Maybe she had always been able to cope with their relationship because of their close proximity- she may not have been able to _have_ him, but she could at least have him close by. It didn't matter anymore, though, the past was the past and their future was now.

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What Pepper would never know was that for some time, Tony had felt the same. For the past several months, he'd really _seen _her, but she was always out of reach, and he was newly consumed by an overwhelming desire to prove himself to her. Now that he had her, though, all of his thoughts were on keeping her and making her happy. It was a new challenge, but he _was_ Tony Stark and there was little, if anything, that he _couldn't_ do.

As he leaned back in his chair in his office, he sighed deeply. He missed her. 'Ugh, that's stupid, she's just at the house,' he thought as he sat up. Still, he shrugged off his doubt and told his secretary to postpone his afternoon appointments by a few hours as he grabbed his coat and keys.

She heard his car as soon as it pulled through the gate. She put her work away quickly, wondering why he was home so early and yet at the same time not really caring. She didn't care how foolish she looked, meeting him at the door so eagerly. As soon as he had opened the door, she had wrapped her arms around him and clung to him tightly, burrowing her face into his neck.

Her unexpectedly enthusiastic greeting surprised him, and he stumbled back against the door-frame, but he quickly recovered and pulled her to him just as snugly. He held her for a moment silently, then laughed slightly. "Well hello to you too, Potts."

She smiled sheepishly into the side of his neck and replied softly. "Hi."

He held her for a little longer, sensing that she needed it. Hell, he did too. The stress of keeping their relationship a secret took its toll on them, so sometimes it was nice to just be two people, together, in the privacy of their own home.

He pulled back slightly and smiled at her warmly. "Missed me, huh?"

"Guess I wasn't too subtle," she replied, looking down. "God, I'm acting like such a girl," she said, chiding herself under her breath.

He laughed more heartily that time. "And that's a bad thing? I don't know if you noticed but I rather _like_ girls, especially this one," he teased as he kissed the tip of her nose sweetly. "Plus it's rather nice to feel wanted, missed, you know," he said softly with a smile and kissed her deeply, turning her around and pinning her against the door.

"Mmm, yeah. Tony?"

"Hmm?"

"I want you," she moaned against his cheek.

He tried to stifle his responding groan to little avail. "You sure, Potts? Because I legit just came home for a long lunch, but if you're sure you're ready for _that _I'm not going to be stupid enough to say no."

"Too much talking," she whispered as she kissed him again. Suddenly, she stopped and pulled away. "Wait, your meetings…" she started to ask.

He smiled at her ever-present professionalism. "No worries, I didn't cancel them, just postponed them for a couple hours."

"Who are you and what have you done with Tony Stark?" she asked her hands holding the sides of his face.

"You know you love the new and improved Tony Stark. He's exactly what you've always wanted: he goes to all his meetings, is infinitely more responsible, and does incredibly adorable things like this…" he broke off as he kissed her quickly. "…because he's crazy about you and can't stand to go half a day without seeing you."

She sighed deeply, touched by his words. Then she laughed and leaned into his shoulder. "Hell is freezing over, isn't it? Tony Stark- a hopeless romantic. I never thought I'd see the day."

He just smiled at her. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm all reformed. I know you've always wanted me, Pep, I was just a little slow on the uptake. Now, you've got about two hours to do with me as you wish before I have to get back." he said as he smirked at her.

"Well in that case…" She grinned back at him, taking his hand to lead him into the house. "…we better get a move on." She led him over to the living room and pushed him onto the couch playfully. She leaned over him and kissed him deeply for a few minutes, fighting his grabs to pull her down to him as she backed away.

He groaned in frustration at her retreat. "Oh come on, Pepper. Don't you start something you don't intend to finish! That's just mean."

"I didn't say we were done yet," she replied with a devilish smirk. "But, I'm _hungry_, so unless you want me to pass out, food is necessary." She walked over to the kitchen to inspect the contents of the fridge.

"I can think of something I'd like to eat right about now," he said under his breath.

"Oh, Tony, don't be crude," she scoffed.

He stood up to follow her into the kitchen, grabbed a couple of power bars off the counter along with an apple, gatorade and a water bottle and led her away from the refrigerator. "Ok, problem solved," he said proudly, a smug grin plastered on his face. "Time to go, Potts."

She laughed at his tenacity. "Fine. After you," she replied, gesturing him upstairs before adding a slap to his ass as he walked by.

* * *

An hour or so later, they were lying in his bed together, Pepper curled against his side, almost asleep. He had his arm around her, drawing lazy circles on her shoulder, blissfully happy. Unfortunately, he glanced at the clock on the wall and realized that it was getting late.

"Hey, Potts?" he whispered.

"Hmm?" she replied sleepily.

"As much as I'd rather stay here, I gotta go if I'm going to make that 4 o'clock board meeting," he said regretfully.

"If you have to."

"I could cancel them, but I think you'd probably regret letting me do that later. Take the rest of the day off and we'll do dinner later, ok?"

"Ok, Tony," she yawned.

"Geez, what happened to your usual 'I have too much work to do, Tony, I can't take the day off' response? I really wore you out didn't I?" he said with a smirk.

"Maybe," she replied, returning his grin. "Or it could be that I only got 4 1/2 hours of sleep last night. No need to inflate your ego any more."

He laughed and kissed her nose. "Then stay and get some sleep, because I'm eager to revisit this topic when I get home later."

"Mmm, absolutely. Good night, Tony," she said softly, only half awake.

"'Night, Pepper," and he kissed her gently and then left with a smile on face.

A few hours later when Pepper woke up, she rolled over to find a little note on his pillow.

**_Thank you for a wonderful afternoon, Pepper. You are absolutely amazing. _****_See you later for dinner._**

**_Love you,_**

**_Tony_**

Smiling to herself, she fell back against the pillows and sighed at the absurdity of it all, especially at the fact that she had just woken up naked in Tony Stark's bed- something she had sworn for _years_ that she'd _never_ do. She was head over heels for Tony Stark and he loved her back. She laughed softly to herself.

Meanwhile, he sat at his desk, packing up his things for the evening and smiling as he remembered the events from a few hours earlier. Pepper Potts, in love with him...and he was finally man enough to love her back. Life was good.

_Your love's a gathered storm _

_I chased across the sky_

_A moment in your arms _

_Became the reason why_

_And you're still the only light _

_That fills the emptiness_

_The only one I need _

_Until my dying breath_

_And I would give you everything _

_Just to feel your open arms_

_And I'm not sure I believe _

_Anything I feel_

_And now, now that you're near_

_There's nothing more without you _

_Without you here_

_

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_**Lyrics from Without You Here by The Goo Goo Dolls.**

**Please review, I love reading all of your comments! Next chapter is almost done so it'll be posted soon, probably tomorrow.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Smidge of angst, then fluffy fluff fluff because it is currently all my muse is allowing be to write. If it's too much, my apologies, but please no flames.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.**

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A few days later, Tony was sitting up in bed wide-awake. He hated it when she left. Sometimes she'd stay for dinner, but more often than not, he'd spend his nights alone. He wanted to tell her how much he missed her every second of every day when she wasn't with him. Sure they'd exchanged I love you's and were committed to giving their relationship a chance, but they didn't always talk about those kind of things. Hell, he wasn't even sure that he _could_ talk about those kinds of things, but he knew he was feeling them. He didn't want to push her, though ever since his capture he had realized how important she was to him, and that there was so much he _wanted_ to tell her. He didn't know where it all came from, these feelings he had whenever he was with her and consumed him when she wasn't around.

He looked at the clock: 3:00 am. '_Way_ too early to call,' he thought to himself. Tomorrow, he'd talk to her tomorrow. He had to, or everything he was dying to say would eat him up inside.

_It's 4:03 and I can't sleep_

_Without you next to me_

_I toss and turn like the sea_

_If I drown tonight_

_Bring me back to life_

_Breathe your breath in me_

_The only thing I still believe in is you_

_If you only knew_

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That morning, Pepper arrived at Stark Industries early, finding herself seriously behind on paperwork. Little did she know that Tony had been at work since 4:00 am, too riled up to sleep. In fact, he had been sitting at her desk since he came in that morning. He had found it comforting to be amongst her things and he soon fell asleep, so when Pepper came in that morning, that was exactly where she had found him- passed out on her desk.

"Tony?" she asked, utterly confused by his presence, especially so early in the morning.

He sat up groggily. "Mmm, what? Oh, hey. I, uh, came in early to, uh, get some work done and I, um, I must've I fallen asleep." He stood up quickly, clearly flustered, and scrambles to gather up his paperwork. "I guess I'll just go and, uh, let you get to your work."

"Um, ok, Tony. I guess I'll see you later." She watched him leave, wondering why he's acting so strangely.

"Tony?" she called softly and he turned around to face her. She'd never seen him so flustered. "Is everything ok?"

He nodded slowly with a shrug. He was about to walk out the door before he stopped short. "Actually, no. Can I come over later? I, uh, need to talk to you."

She looks up quickly and freezes, her eyes wide. He recognizes the look in her eyes as panic and immediately walked back over to stand next to her. He took one of her hands in his own and continued, trying to explain. "There's just some things I think we should talk about." He smiled hesitantly and she relaxed a bit, but only slightly. "So, um, can I come over later, after work?"

She nodded and he leaned over to kiss her cheek gently before exiting her office. She stood staring, watching him go, still confused as to what just happened and what they needed to talk about.

_Well I've got something to say_

_But you might laugh, joke or run away_

'_Cause I'm awkward and nervous_

_Sometimes I don't say much at all_

_But if the rain must fall_

_If I lose it all_

_If the world comes down and takes my soul_

_If the sky turns black_

_And there's no, no way back_

_It won't matter much to me_

_If I had you_

_All I need is your love_

_That's all I need_

_All I need is your love_

_

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After work, he drove over to her house, thinking about what he needed to say, and, more importantly, how he wanted to say it. He arrived at her door and she opened it quickly with a hesitant smile.

"Hi," she whispered cautiously.

"Hey," he replied, and giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek before following her inside.

"Do you want me to make some coffee? Or I can cook someth-" she started to ask but he cuts her off, shaking his head.

He gestures toward the couch in the living room. "Can we just sit and talk for a minute? I just want to get this over with before I lose my nerve."

She nodded and followed him into the living room to sit on the couch. They sat down and he started, his words spilling out quickly. "Listen, Pepper. I know things have been going really well, and, shit I don't even know if I can say this to you..." He trailed off, unsure of himself.

She didn't understand what he was trying to say, but the blatant fear in his eyes terrified her. Pepper looked down and her eyes began to tear up. A million worst case scenarios ran through her mind. He'd never done long-term relationships, hell he'd never done relationships period, so maybe he'd realized that he couldn't after all. Or maybe it was just her that he no longer had any interest in. Or, or...the possibilities were endless. "Tony, if you're going to break up with me just tell me now. I thought this was really good but if you don't-"

He looked at her, shocked that she would even think such a thing, instantly regretting the way he had ended his last sentence. "What? Pepper, why would you even think that? What I'm trying to tell you is…" He hesitated a second before continuing. 'Damn, why is this so difficult?' he thought to himself. "…that I've realized that I love you. Well, no, I've already told you that. I guess I've realized that you're everything to me. I know we don't really talk about these things, or I guess _I_ don't, but I just thought that I should say them for once. I haven't been sleeping much lately so I've been thinking about a lot of things, mostly just you. Well, you and me, actually. I know I'm babbling and this is all ridiculously sappy but do you understand what I'm saying here? Do you really, truly know how much you mean to me? I'd be lost without you, and I don't just mean professionally. You mean the world to me and there is _nothing_ I wouldn't do for you."

She looked up, smiling at him as tears began to form in her eyes. He continued on, speaking softly yet resolutely. "You're the first person I want to see when I wake up in the morning and the last person I want to see before I close my eyes at night, and…and I'm pretty sure that I'm completely in love with you, Pepper. I think it's possible that I always have been, I just didn't realize it." He looked down, awaiting her response.

She took a deep breath before offering him a return confession. "Tony." She said his name solemnly and he looked up at her. "When I came to work for you, I honestly didn't think it would last. You had a reputation that preceded you, and I wasn't sure I'd be able to deal with it. But nine years later, I'm still here, putting up with all of your antics." She smiled at him warmly. "Every day that I've stayed, I've stayed for you. Deep down, a part of me was always hopelessly in love with you. Every time I had to kick another woman out of your house in the morning, I'd swear it would be the last time and I secretly wished that you'd change. And then after you came back, you became the person I'd always known you could be. But I was still scared that you'd never feel that way about me so I kept it to myself. Then you took a chance that night at my house, and I almost turned you away. I'm sorry about that, by the way, I was just so in shock, I didn't know what to think."

He smiled back at her, as if accepting her unnecessary apology. "Anyways, none of this really matters any more. You're the most important person in my life, Tony, and I love you," she said simply with a gentle shrug and a smile.

She heard him exhale deeply. "Well, thank God for that," he said with a smile and practically lunged at her, kissing her deeply. It was a kiss he hoped would say everything that he still couldn't convey with words. He continued to kiss her, holding her protectively, with one hand buried in her hair and the other snuggly around her waist. After a while, and despite valiantly fighting the urge to breathe, he pulled back, kissing the side of her neck lovingly. He pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her tightly, just wanting to hold her.

She smiled at him warmly. "And, Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"We can, you know, talk like this whenever you want. You never have to be afraid to tell me how you feel, good or bad, because I'll always be here for you." She smiled and kissed him softly.

"Thank you, Pepper. I don't know what I ever did to deserve you, but I'm prepared to spend every day being the best man I can be to continue to be worthy of you."

"Tony, I love you, and nothing will ever change that so just be you." She smiled, then stood up and without another word, walking toward her bedroom.

He just sat there staring at her, unsure of how to react. He had never stayed over at her place before so he waited patiently for some indication of whether or not he should leave.

"You don't want to stay?" she asked as she looked back at him with a coy smile.

He grinned sheepishly. "You don't have to ask me twice," he replied and he quickly ran after her.

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**This story is getting so sappy at times it's a bit ridiculous! ****Hope you all aren't getting a sugar high from all the fluffy sweetness. **Still, I'd like to think that they'd have conversations like this occasionally, and since my story is their relationship super condensed they pop up fairly frequently. 

**Lyrics from If You Only Knew by Shinedown and If the Rain Must Fall by James Morrison.**

**More soon, please read and review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**This chapter I really like, mostly because I like it when they actually talk about meaningful aspects of their relationship and work things out. I realize I've condensed their relationship considerably, but I feel like most areas are filled out pretty well story wise. If you feel that there's anything I'm missing, shoot me a review. I only have a few chapters left with this story but I am open to suggestions and constructive criticism.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.**

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The next morning, he woke up with Pepper in his arms, smiling to himself. He pulled her closer to him and sweeps the hair out of her face gently. He laid there quietly as he gazed at her, taking in this new feeling- love. He knew deep down that he loved her, but so much it almost scared him, how much he needs her, how it was almost like a dull ache when she's not around.

"Mmm, morning, Tony." She looked up and kissed him softly.

He smiled down at her. "Good morning, love."

She looked over at her clock. "Ugh, we have to be at work in two hours."

He grinned at her devilishly. "Not necessarily. You know there are certain perks to dating the boss…"

"No, Tony. You have so many appointments and meetings today. I'd have to reschedule them all and-"

He cut her off with a kiss. "Yeah, but would it be worth it?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and his classic smirk.

"Well…" she started to counter, but quickly abandoned her argument when she felt her comforter being pulled back over her head and a warm hand snake down her hip.

* * *

Later, they both decided (or rather Pepper persuaded him) that they probably should get _some _work done. They spent a few hours at Stark Industries and by the time they got back to the mansion it was just before sunset. As they exited of the car, he caught her wrist and she turned around to face him. "Take a walk with me?"

She looked at him slightly confused, but agreed anyway. "Ok."

He set their things back into the car and told Happy to just go park it in the garage and take the night off. Then he took her hand in his own and led them down to his private beach. They walked along the shore for a while, just holding hands and walking in silence. It was moments like this she didn't question, because he's Tony, and half the time even_ he_ didn't know what was going on inside his head. After a while, he sat down on the beach and motioned for her to do the same. She sat between his legs, leaning back against him as he rested his head on her shoulder.

After sitting in silence for a few minutes, he snapped out of his reverie, speaking softly into her hair. "You know what, Pepper? I think this is it. Iron man, you…I think this was how things were supposed to work out. It just took me a long time to figure it out."

She didn't respond, only sighed and smiled as he wrapped his arms around her tighter.

A few minutes later, he spoke again. "You want kids?"

She was immediately taken aback by his comment. "Now?" she asked, slightly puzzled.

He shrugged his shoulders. "No. Well, maybe. Just, at some point I guess," he responded as he lifted a hand to run it through her hair absentmindedly.

"Yes, I suppose so, at some point," she answered, surprisingly casually.

"Good," he said with a sigh of contentment.

She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. The man never ceased to surprise her

They sat there like that for a while longer, each lost amongst their own contemplations. After a good twenty minutes, it was Pepper who broke the silence.

"Tony?"

"Hmm?" he replied, still seemingly lost in his thoughts.

"Why do you love me?"

His head jerked up at the seeming absurdity of her question. "Why would you ask that?"

"I dunno. I just wonder sometimes. Why me?" she asked honestly.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? I mean I don't have the greatest track record here. It's you that deserves far better. And yet you stick around a self-centered jerk like me with a super hero complex," he said with a small chuckle, though his face looked somewhat strained.

She nudged his shoulder and scoffed "Tony, I'm being serious."

"Ok. I guess I just don't understand why you're asking. But if you insist." He hesitated for a second, organizing his thoughts, then continued. "I love you because everything else stops and life is perfect when I hold you. Because just being around you makes my day. Because you're the only one who's seen me through the worst and still loves me for who I am. Because you make me want to be a better man so that you'll_ keep_ loving me and so I can feel like I actually _deserve_ it."

Her eyes teared up a bit at his explanation of his devotion to her. "Tony, you don't have to prove anything to me. You know that I will _always_ love you."

"But why should you? After everything I've put you through over the years, why did you never go running in the opposite direction?"

She sensed his hesitancy, feeling him tense up behind her so she turned around to face him and answered him quickly. "Because I've always seen a side of you that you were never quite able to see yourself. Even now, you still doubt how good a man you are, and you shouldn't. And if you haven't managed to drive me away yet, Tony, I'm not going anywhere," she said with a smile. She shifted in his lap to take his face in her hands and continued resolutely. "I love you, Tony Stark. With all my heart."

"I love you, too. More than you'll ever know," and with that he leaned in and kissed her softly.

"When did you know?" she asked quietly.

"That I loved you?" She nodded. "Well, since you started working for me, I knew there was something different about you, and over the years, I came to depend on you, to the point where I literally can't function without you. There was always something there, but I couldn't put my finger on it. But when did I finally know that I loved you? When I got off that plane. Your memory got me through those lonely months and you were the only person I wanted to see when I finally got back. No one else mattered. When I saw you, I knew. That was it. Mind you, I didn't quite know what to do about it, and breaking into your house wasn't one of my finer moments, but a man in love will do crazy things," he finished, a dazzling smile spreading across his face and he reached up to caress her cheek.

She fought back the tears, as she owed him a similar confession. "I knew for sure the moment I found out you were gone. I had known on some level for a while, but when I got that phone call, my world collapsed…and I knew. I knew I was in love with you because my heart ached. But then you came back and you were this whole new person and then you were at my house and saying these things and I got scared because everything I'd dreamed of couldn't really be coming true."

He moved to speak as she paused. "Are you saying I was the man of your dreams, Potts?" he asked with a smile, lightening the mood considerably.

"Maybe," she replied with a smirk, wiping a few stubborn tears from her eyes. "But don't get too cocky, Stark."

"Your knight in shining armor?" He grinned at her.

"Now I didn't say that. I believe I've rescued _you_ on numerous occasions."

"Hey, I'll have you know I can take care of myself just fine."

She continued their playful banter. "Well, if that's true than maybe you don't _need_ me after all. Maybe you just _want_ me to hang around and look pretty on your arm."

Suddenly his face fell and his tone became very serious. "No." The implication that she was anything less made him suddenly feel repulsed, his response to counter such a suggestion resolute. She quickly grew concerned as she watched his eyes darken and he moved his arms to wrap around her tightly. "I _want _you because I'm a selfish ass who doesn't deserve you but really doesn't care because I _need_ you like I need _air_ and because I can't even imagine my life without you in it. I absolutely _adore_ you. You're it, Pepper. I lived without you for three _months_. I will _never_ do it again. Without you, I'm _nothing_."

She didn't quite know how to respond, so she did the only thing she could think of- she held him. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, as if to reaffirm the fact that she wasn't going anywhere, and to solidify her love for him.

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_Hope you liked this one! Next chapter up soon, please read and review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**This one is just fun and fluffy, hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.**

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That weekend, he called her bright and early Saturday morning.

"Potts, get dressed. We're going to the zoo," he said, exceptionally perky for as early as it was.

"What?" she asked sleepily. "Tony, it's a Saturday. Why are you calling me at...what time is it? And what were you saying about the zoo?"

"I dunno…" he looked down at his watch. "It's about 7. Up and at 'em, I'll be at your place to pick you up in an hour."

"Tony, wait…" but he had already hung up. "Great," she sighed, and slowly got up to go get dressed.

Exactly an hour later, he was at her front door. "Good morning, sunshine," he said overly cheerful as she opened the door.

"Hello, Tony," she said, less than cheerfully as he leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"You're awfully grumpy this morning, Potts. Maybe this will cheer you up," he said grinning as he pulled a venti Starbucks cup out from behind his back.

"My hero," she smiled, taking his hand and leading him inside to the kitchen.

"Anytime. Now, about the zoo. I think-"

She cut him off as she set her coffee down on the counter. "Yes, about the zoo. What has gotten into you? It's barely 8am on a Saturday and not only are you fully awake and dressed, but you're also raring to go join the rest of society and be a normal person. Why the zoo?"

"Better question is, why not?" he asked with a shrug.

"Need I remind you about the whole 'it's 8am on a Saturday' thing?"

"Ah well, we're both already up."

"Yes, thanks to you."

"Come on, Potts, it's a cute date activity!"

"If we were twelve! Seriously, did you hit your head last night?"

He looked at her confused. "Um, not that I remember? I'm serious though, Pepper. I want to go out with you."

She took another swig of her coffee and sighed. "We are 'going out.' Seriously, Tony, why the zoo?"

"It just seems so…innocent, so normal. Think about it. We could throw on some shades, drive down to some small town a few hours from here and just walk around all day. And while we are 'dating,' we don't 'go out.' We stay in."

"Because we have to."

"Yes and no. Around here, yes. But I want to take you _out._ As in outside of the four walls of this house and mine. Pepper, I've admitted that I'm in love with you and yet I've never actually taken you out, on a date, in a public place. That seems incredibly backwards, doesn't it?"

She couldn't help but appreciate the sentiment. It was true, they had never technically gone out. "Ok," she said softly, leaning over to kiss him gently.

"Ok," he echoed. "Though we'll need to take your car."

"Fine, Tony," she said with a smile, shaking her head.

"Ooh and we should bring a camera! It's been like a month or something and we have no pictures! Do you have one? We could buy one on the way I guess," he said quickly.

"Um, yeah, I think I have one," she said, shaking her head with a laugh.

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As they're were driving, he realized something he hadn't thought of before. "Hmm," he murmured to himself.

She looked over at him questioningly. "What?"

"I just realized that I haven't been on a date in like 20 years. Honestly, I don't know if I've ever actually _dated_."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Well, I guess I'm glad your first one is with me," she said sweetly, smiling at him.

He reached over to take one of her hands in his own while keeping his eyes on the road. "There'll be no more dates _without_ you, Pepper," he said remarkably casually.

Despite the ease with which his last statement had been uttered, she could see in his eyes that he knew the meaning of exactly what he had just said. She didn't respond, just nodded and smiled.

Two hours later, they're wandering around a zoo in some random city a good 60 miles outside of Malibu, wallking hand in hand, laughing, being a normal couple. As they walked down the path to the next exhibit, suddenly he stopped. She looked back at him confused and he just stared at her smiling. He let go of her hand and closed the gap between them, enveloping her in his arms. "I love you," he whispered softly into her hair as he kissed the top of her head reverently.

She sighed and leaned into him, becoming rather used to his random outbursts of emotion. Tony was, after all, a very impulsive person, and that was no different when it came to this side of him.

"So, did you have a good first date?" she asked with a smile as they walked out to the car.

He opened her car door for her and smiled. "I was with you," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "There was no way it could have been anything but a good day." He leaned down to kiss her but stopped a few inches from her lips.

"I love you, Tony," she said quietly as she leaned over to kiss him.

When they broke apart, he smiled at her, the smile she only saw when they were alone. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and sighed. "I adore you," was his simple reply, and he closed her door.

"Question," he said looking over to her as he started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Shoot."

"Does it count as two dates if they're on the same day?"

"I don't know. Does it matter?"

"I guess not really. But I want to take you out again, this was fun.."

She laughed at his honesty and the oddness of his sudden love of dating, for lack of a better phrase. "Ok, did you have something in mind?"

"Hmm, Pepper Potts, we are going out dancing. And I sure as hell don't mean ballroom," he said with an evil grin.

"That should be ok. We're pretty far outside of Malibu and it'll be dark so no one should recognize us. But first- shopping. This 'zoo date' outfit doesn't quite work for 'clubbing date' you know."

"Agreed. Shopping it is."

* * *

A few hours later, they've eaten lunch and are dressed and ready to go out, again. He's wearing his jeans from earlier, but he's wearing a nicer button-down shirt and a dark grey blazer. She's lost her paisley skirt and sweater for a pair of leggings and a deep blue silk top. As they walked out of the dressing rooms, he was clearly ogling her.

"Hot," he said approvingly.

"Thanks," she replied shyly.

"Alright, let's go," he said as he finished paying for the items (with cash, of course, given that their efforts at remaining incognito were still working) and they headed out to the car.

"Oh, by the way, I booked a room at that hotel down the road. It'll probably be late and I don't wanna drive all the way back tonight."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's the only reason," she said with a grin.

* * *

They arrived at the club and discovered it actually wasn't too bad. Not like the places Tony used to frequent, but not a total dive either. The music wasn't completely up to date, but good nonetheless. As they walked into the dance room hand in hand, she couldn't help but think about how nice it was to be out in public and just be regular people. They stopped at the bar, both took a shot ("To an absolutely fantastic day" was what Tony had toasted to), then hit the dance floor. She wasn't much of a dancer, especially in a club type of setting, but somehow being with Tony put her at ease. He wasn't at all what she expected either. The former playboy was charming, and not a hint of what she often referred to as "sex on the dancefloor." Well, not much anyway, and not until much later in the night after several more drinks, but by then she didn't mind at all.

After about an hour and a half, he shot her a mischievous grin. "Wanna get out of here?"

"You ok to drive?" she asked cautiously

"Mhmm. Haven't had anything to drink since that tequila shot I did with you when we first got here a couple of hours ago. I'm fine, I promise."

"Ugh, I hate tequila."

He laughed. "Well, you certainly drank enough of it to fool me."

"Three, Tony."

"And how does the saying go exactly? 1 tequila, 2 tequila, 3 tequila, floor?"

"Oh ha ha," she said dryly. "You're so funny. I'm still very much upright, thank you very much," she said emphatically, only stumbling a little on their way out to the car. Over the years, she'd learned to handle her liquor better, but she was no Tony Stark and she was beginning to feel every one of those three tequila shots.

"You know, I can fix that," he whispered suggestively in her ear, once he realized that she wasn't really drunk, merely tipsy.

"You know," she echoed back softly, slightly slurred in a way that made him smile and pull her closer. "I don't think I'd mind that."

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Only a few chapters left! Please review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**ANother quick update! It may seem like I write fast, but most of these chapters were already written so they just required a little tweaking. Nonetheless, here's another update. 2 more chapters!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.**

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A few days later, she sat at her desk looking over paperwork regarding the next day's meetings. Her phone buzzed and she reached for it, seeing it was a text from Tony.

_**Surprise for you. Top right desk drawer.  
**__**- T**_

She smiled and opened the drawer. Inside, a note in a familiar, illegible scrawl attached to a small box.

**_Hey Pep, hope you're having a good day.  
_****_Happy one month! _****_Dinner at my house at 8, I'll meet you there._**

She looked up as she heard someone come in and saw Tony standing against the doorframe smiling.

"That was a sweet, Tony," she said as he entered and shut the door behind him.

"I dunno what it is about you, Potts, that turns me into a gushy romantic," he replied sheepishly. "Did you open the box?"

"No, not yet. I was going to wait until later to open it. You know, after I left work."

"Ok. I better go. 8 o'clock?"

"Mhmm."

"See you then, love."

* * *

"Tony?" she called as she entered his house later that evening.

"In here," he yelled from the kitchen.

She walked over to meet him, finding him attempting to cook something. She smiled and walked over to kiss his cheek. "The necklace is beautiful, Tony. Is it a locket?"

"Yeah, you like it?"

"I love it. It's just…"

"What?" he asked confused.

"Well, it's locked. Is there a key or something?"

He just grinned at her. "Or something…"

She glared at him with a raised eyebrow. "Tony, what did you make?"

"It's _just_ a locket, Pepper," he grinned.

"Nothing is ever_ just_ what it appears to be with you, Tony," she said smiling.

"Here, let me see," he said as he took the gold necklace from her. "Ok, give me your hand."

She looked at him curiously, but extended her hand anyways. He took her thumb and placed it on the back of the locket. Instantly, it popped open.

"Oh! How did you do that?"

"I'm amazing," he said with a brilliant smile plastered across his face.

She looked back at the locket still in his hands. Inside was a tiny picture of the two of them, one they had taken during their trip to the zoo- the two of them laughing, just spending time together. It was absolutely adorable and a single tear fell down her face. She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"I'm pretty much the best boyfriend ever, aren't I?" he said with a proud grin.

"Surprisingly enough, you just might be."

He moved to wrap his arms around her and kiss her softly. "Happy one month anniversary, Pepper."

She leans against him, burrowing her head in his chest with a sigh.

"You ok?" he asked, a bit concerned.

She nodded against his chest. "Yeah. I love you, Tony."

"I love you too, Pep."

"Has it really been a month?" she asked softly.

"My math is never wrong, Potts."

"I'm sorry I didn't remember," she said, as she looked down ashamed. "I…I don't have anything for you."

"It's ok, Pep. It's only a month, nothing really special. I've just never gotten this far before so I thought we should celebrate. And let's be honest- I'm bound to forget more times than I remember."

"Should I wonder where all this is coming from? I mean, I always knew deep down you were a nice guy, but this much of a romantic? This I never expected."

"I know, me either, trust me. It's weird," he said softly, shaking his head in wonder.

She eyed him questioningly, silently begging him to explain.

"It's not bad, just new. The idea of a long-term relationship, being with someone that you love and who loves you back," he shrugged his shoulders, "it's so different than anything I've ever done, and yet it makes me so happy. _ You_ make me happy. And you know me, impulsive as always, so when I'm happy, I text you or send you flowers or…make you jewelry," he said with a grin.

"It's really sweet, Tony."

He straightened up and cleared his throat. "But I'm still Iron Man and Tony fucking Stark so I have that image to keep up too, you know."

She laughed at his bravado, especially contrasted with this new, adorable romantic side. "Yes, I know. But I like this side of you too."

"Well I hope so. This part is all trial and error for me, Potts. Evidently I've been doing well so far, but I expect you to tell me when I fuck it up."

She leaned forward to kiss him gently. "Tony Stark, former playboy turned hopeless romantic…I like it."

"Yeah, yeah. Well, I only have eyes for you, Potts."

She smiled at him warmly. "It took you long enough to figure it out."

"You've always been necessary in my life, Pepper. But now it's like...you're vital to it, like trying to imagine my life without you in it is impossible. Sometimes I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. Ugh, I know what I feel, but trying to say it in words doesn't work out so great. I guess that's where the gestures come in. I dunno, this whole 'being in love thing' is so different than anything I've done before. Amazing, but I'm like a fish out of water."

"You'll figure it out. This whole 'being in love thing' thing, as you so eloquently called it, it's actually pretty easy. I love you, you love me, end of story. The rest is just details, babe," she said with a smile as she patted the side of his face.

"I love you, Pepper."

She sighed and smiled, leaning into his chest. "I know. I think the knowing is the best part. It's like, you don't even have to say it but I can just see it in your eyes. Like at work, I'll look up and catch you staring and I can just see the look in your eyes and I know. I've seen it there since you got back. You might not have known it, but I knew."

_It's hard to say what it is I see in you  
__Wonder if I'll always be with you  
__Words can't say and I can't do  
__Enough to prove, it's all for you_

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**Lyrics from All for You by Sister Hazel**

**Story almost done...please read and review.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Without further ado, the final chapter. Hope you enjoy it :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.**

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Later that weekend, Pepper and Tony were sitting on the couch cuddling, alternating between moments of peaceful silence and quiet comments.

"You know, there's been only one time that I seriously considered quitting in the 9 years I've worked for you," she said, suddenly serious.

He didn't look at her, just stared off into the distance solemnly. He knew the time she was referring to. 'Iron Man,' he thought.

"After you started with all of the missions, I didn't know what I to do. I couldn't lose you. All the women were just annoying, but this was life threatening, and I didn't understand why you were doing it."

"I know," he said softly.

"I hate it every time you leave. I wouldn't be able to handle it if something happened to you. Those three months, Tony…" She trails off as the tears well up in her eyes.

"Hey, no tears," and he lovingly wraps his arms around her. He gazes into her eyes with a look that could only be described as regret, for causing her so much pain while he was away. He runs a hand through her hair comfortingly. "Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it…" he whispered to himself.

"It was so hard. While you were gone I would just..." She stopped herself again, trying to figure out how much she wanted to tell him.

He looked up and stared at her curiously, his head cocked slightly, not knowing what to say in reply so he chose to stay silent, figuring that she'd tell him what she wanted to say.

"I tried to stay as busy as I could but then I would come here and end up crying for hours." She looked down ashamed, but he reached for her hand and held it in support. "Sometimes I would sit in your workshop and just imagine that your were still here, that nothing had changed. I had nightmares every night that they'd killed you. But I couldn't believe it, you couldn't be gone. Even when they said they'd found you, I wouldn't believe it until I saw you myself. Then when I saw you get off of that plane…" She stopped as her words were cut off by her tears.

"I'm sorry," he said simply, and lowers his head into his hands.

She shook her head, lifting his up with her hands. "No, Tony, it's not your fault. You're here now and that's all that matters." She collapsed into him, emotionally drained, and buried her head into his shoulder. "You're here with me now, forever."

"Forever," he repeated. He holds her for a few minutes, then pulls her back a little so he can face her and speaks softly, his eyes full of hope and love. "Pepper, will you stay with me forever?"

She smiled slightly. "And where exactly do you think I'm going, Mr. Stark? You can't even tie your shoes without me," she added, laughing a bit.

He laughed as well, then smiled at her. "Well, that may be true, but that's not quite what I meant. I was thinking something a little more…" He reached down to his jeans and fished an intricate diamond ring out of his pocket. "…permanent. I know it's really soon, but when you think about it, we've been together for years. I'm not going anywhere and I can't imagine ever loving anyone as much as I love you. Pepper, will you marry me?"

Her eyes filled with tears. She stared at him for a moment unable to speak. She nodded and spoke softly through the tears. "Tony…of course."

He kissed her sweetly and slid the ring onto her finger, his face beaming.

"Oh, Tony." She looked at her hand, her eyes full of tears. "This ring is beautiful. How long have you had this?" she asked shyly.

His face dropped slightly. "You want to know the truth?"

"Of course, why?" she asked hesitantly.

He took her left hand in his own, his fingers tracing over the ring. "A long time. Since the day after I got back. I had a lot of time to think in those three months, and I realized that I couldn't go on anymore without knowing that you would always be here with me. I didn't have the love part all figured out yet, but I knew I cared about you more than I ever had about anyone else and I promised myself that I'd prove to you I'd changed, and then make you mine. So I went out and bought a ring and bided my time, until you realized that I could be better…and that you loved me too." He smiled softly.

She smiled back, and leaned in to kiss him. "I've always loved you, Tony. You just didn't see it," she said simply, as he exhaled deeply, holding her close.

"Yeah well, I do now."

The two were so caught up in the moment that they failed to realize they had company. "Good for you guys. It's about time."

"Rhodey," he said simply with a grin, looking up at him.

Pepper blushed and looked away.

"Look, you guys have been at this for years. When did you finally start dating?"

"You really didn't know?" she asked surprised, looking up at him in disbelief. They had been careful, but he had sent her flowers and would visit her at work occasionally so she figured at least some people had put things together by now, especially Rhodey.

"How would I? I'm proud of you though, man. She's been way too good to you for years. It's about time you realized it."

"Yeah, I know." Tony chuckled softly, standing up to hug his friend.

"So, how long has this been going on?" Rhodey repeated.

He looked down at Pepper with smile. "Um, couple weeks after I got back."

"Really? Wow. Good for you." He looked over at Pepper smiling, truly happy for his friends. "He's a changed man, Pepper. Congratulations guys. I only came over to hang out but I think I'll just see myself out. I'll see you Monday."

"Night, Rhodey," she said as she stood to hug him goodbye.

After he had gone, Tony turned to Pepper. "Well, what do you say we go out and celebrate?"

She smiled and shrugged. "I suppose everybody's bound to find out soon enough."

"You're sure?" he asked sweetly. She nodded. "Ok, then let's go change."

Then she realized, "Um, I don't really have anything here, Tony. To wear to dinner, that is."

"Well, as far as tonight's concerned, I've got that covered. I picked out a little something for you a few days ago, thought it might come in handy for a special occasion." He smiled then continued matter-a-factly, "and to solve future problems of this nature, I think it might be best to just move all of your things here, preferably so you'll never have to leave ever again." He smirked at her, hands in his pockets as he rocked back and forth on his heels.

"You proposed, bought me a dress _and_ you're asking me to move in with you, Tony?" she asked him, smiling radiantly.

"I'm just full of surprises tonight, Miss Potts," he replied as he smiled back. Before he left he turned around again. "And I'm pretty sure if you and I are going to get hitched, you'll have to move in sooner or later," he replied grinning and then continued out of the room to go get the dress he bought her.

She laughed softly and sat back down on the couch, staring at her ring, amazed by how much the man truly had changed. He came back several minutes later, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit and carrying a long, black garment bag. She sighed, "Tony…"

"Well, how do I look?" he asked as he spun around grinning. He handed her the bag as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. "This is for you."

She smiled. "You look amazing. I'll be right back." She turned to go change, but not before she caught him watching her go, a smile on his face that she'd never seen before.

He didn't move, merely sat patiently awaiting her return, gasping audibly when she walked back into the room wearing the knee length dress he had bought her, the same color as the one from the night they danced months before. She had recognized the color as well, and smiled at him as she walked toward him sitting on the couch. He stared at her in awe, her beauty leaving him breathless as he stood and took her in his arms, kissing her softly. He pulled back slightly and smiled at her, the same, mysterious way as before. He spoke softly, as he gazed into her eyes. "You look stunning. I love you, Pepper. You know that right?"

She smiled back at him, holding back the tears and nodded. "Yes, I do, Tony. I love you too. More than you will ever know."

_I wonder, if maybe_  
_Maybe I could be_  
_All you ever dreamed, cause you are_  
_Beautiful inside_  
_So lovely and I_  
_Cant see why I'd do anything without you, you are_  
_And when I'm not with you_  
_I know that it's true_  
_That I'd rather be anywhere but here without you_

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**I may be persuaded to write an epilogue, but as of right now, I think this works pretty much as is.**

**Thank you so much to all of my loyal readers. Hope you all enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Lyrics from Anywhere But Here by Safetysuit**


	16. Epilogue

**This short epilogue is dedicated to all of my loyal readers :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.**

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**_The groom wore a perfectly cut Armani tuxedo; the bride a simple Vera Wang white, strapless dress. The ceremony was short and sweet, attended by a handful of their closest friends and what little family they collectively had left. Their vows were individually written, loving and thoughtful. Their "I do's" left them both in tears, knowing that their journey had been long but they had ended up where they had always belonged.

Tony had picked their wedding song. She had gotten to plan just about everything else, but this was the one thing he wanted to decide. He wanted it to be more than just the song they first danced to as husband and wife. He wanted the song to express the things he felt when words failed him. The music began to play, and without saying a word, he led her over to the dance floor. He held her close, one hand around her waist, the other holding one of hers tightly to his chest. As they started to dance, he stared into her eyes lovingly, beaming.

_Find me here a__nd speak to me  
__I need to feel you  
__I need to hear you  
__You are the light  
__That's leading me  
__To the place  
__Where I find peace again_

She smiled at him lovingly and rested her head on his shoulder as he sighed deeply, holding her close.

_You are the strength  
__That keeps me walking  
__You are the hope  
__That keeps me trusting  
__You are the light into my soul  
__You are my purpose  
__You're everything_

She looked up at him knowingly as the music crescendos, seeing the look of pure love in his eyes, and he recognized that she understood everything his words couldn't say. He smiled as he looked into her eyes and kissed her softly.

_And how can I stand here with you  
__And not be moved by you  
__Would you tell me how could it be  
__Any better than this  
_'_Cause you're all I want  
__You're all I need  
__You're everything, everything_

As the music ended, the small crowd of friends and family clapped, but Pepper and Tony remain blissfully unaware of anyone but them in the room.

"That was beautiful, Tony."

"Before a few months ago, I couldn't actually remember the last time I was truly happy. Now, everyday it seems like I'm happier than I've ever been. It's amazing."

She nodded, a few silent tears streaming down her cheeks. "I love you, Tony."

"I adore you, Pepper," echoing his sentiments from their first official date.

The sight of the two embraced on the dancefloor was a thing of beauty, the look in their eyes so loving and pure. The fact that it had taken them years to get to this point didn't matter anymore; they were perfect for each other and always had been.

_The End_

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**I hope this story was everything you hoped it would be. Thank you for all of your kind words and encouragement, I've really appreciated hearing from all of you.**

**Their wedding song, Everything by Lifehouse, is absolutely gorgeous. Take the time to listen to it if you've never heard it.**


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